The Economist magazine ranked Israel as the fourth best economy in 2022. “In the Middle East, Israel has prospered over the past year despite the political chaos,” writes the British weekly. The ranking of 34 OECD countries was compiled using five macroeconomic indicators: GDP growth, annual inflation, inflation breadth, stock prices and public debt. As… […]
A new immigrant from Brazil has now performed the first robotic lumbar spine fusion in Israel. The 36-year-old Dr. Cezar J. Mizrahi works at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. During an internship in the intensive care unit in a hospital in Brazil, he realized that he was more fascinated by neuroscience: “I wanted… […]
The global financial crisis is now also reaching a place where many thought it would never, the Israeli hi-tech industry. Numerous companies have laid off a large part of their workforce, some even saying goodbye to up to 15 percent. In addition to layoffs in the Israeli branches of large international companies such as Intel… […]
By Katharina Hoeftmann Ciobotaru Another measure to lower the cost of living in Israel has been introduced. The government wants to now adopt European food safety standards and most Israeli guidelines are to be repealed. The changes affect, among other things, the production and import of canned vegetables, pasta, rice, sweets, spices, soup powder, condiments and… […]
In our new series “More Swissness in Israel” we write monthly about current topics that show the presence and activities of Switzerland in Israel in all of its diversity. A bit of Swiss attitude towards life in Israel. “Swiss banks in Israel?” Philippe Weil frowns and considers, “I can think of ten Swiss banks here… […]
Zo Flamenbaum’s Last Israel – Between the Lines Edition – A Farewell Message For close to 6 years and nearly 300 issues, Zo Flamenbaum published ISRAEL BETWEEN THE LINES week after week with great dedication and journalistic skill, winning many new readers with her refreshing writing style. Zo has opened the doors to many topics… […]
Urs Bucher is the new Swiss Ambassador to Israel. Although he has only been in the country since September 2021, he has already internalized one important thing about Israel: people here are open to discussion, and he likes that. We spoke to the Ambassador about his plans and expectations for his tenure in the country…… […]
A Brief Note from the Editor – The Israeli-Swiss Association First, we wish our readers, donors, and friends the happiest new year. We appreciate that you spend your time reading Between the Lines each week. As you know, many organizations that depend on donations are going through difficult times, and donations are being reduced or canceled.… […]
Jerusalem Mayor, Moshe Lion, has a mission to make Jerusalem a hi-tech center of Israel. Heâs backing it up with 1.1 million square meters of office space, approved for development in dedicated areas throughout the ancient city. Yet the reality is, that only 7% of employment in Israel takes hold in Jerusalem, and many startups… […]
Israel has never been in the top 20 economies for GDP per capita; however, the past year has made the strength of the Israeli economy notable despite its subsequent shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis. In the latest Forbes Israel report based on International Monetary Fund data, Israel is 19th on the global list. GDP per… […]
Unemployment numbers in Israel continue to drop with the reopening economy, yet people under 34 seem to be staying stagnant. With unemployment benefits in place until mid-June, almost half, or 47.4%, of the young and unemployed are not incentivized to return to work. With COVID-19, many receive 70% of their paycheck, at least until June… […]
Since Sunday, Israelâs outdoor mask requirement has officially been lifted. People are still required to wear masks in enclosed public spaces; however, the removed restriction, in place for just over a year, is proof of the ample progress being made towards extinguishing the coronavirus crisis. Sunday also saw a return to regular schooling. Youth are… […]
After last year’s Independence Day was spent in lockdown, this year has garnered a brand new appreciation for âindependence.â Israel continues to cautiously reopen, with businesses, restaurants, culture spots, and general energy back to full flourishing. Wednesday evening and Thursday are lined up with organized parties, barbecues, and gatherings across the country. The annual Israeli… […]
As Israel continues to tackle, and hopefully overcome, COVID-19, other countries are still struggling to contain the deadly virus. In a recent gathering, the founders of Aura Air, a cutting-edge air purifying system, presented their product for use to various African ambassadors, from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea,… […]
Invitation for a Zoom webinar on the cooperation between Swiss Business Communities in Israel and the United Arabs Emirates for the benefit of Switzerland, co-initiated by the Israeli-Swiss Association, publisher of Israel Between The Lines. The United Arab Emirates signed “The Abraham Accords” with the State of Israel last summer, on the initiative and strong… […]
Industries are being turned on their sides due to digital, yet banking hasnât seen much out of the box – until the First Digital Bank. Founded by Professor Amnon Shashua, who played a founding role in the Mobileye self-driving car revolution, the First Digital Bank hopes to be a disruptor in the centuries-old industry. CEO… […]
In what everyone hopes to be a final grand reopening, Israel is returning to the next iteration of âbusiness as usualâ after its last national lockdown ended at Februaryâs end. With COVID-19 showing a 4% infection rate, and the vaccination campaign going strong, now seems the time to clean up the mess in the middle. … […]
One year later, with COVID-19 still filtering into our 2021, Israel has experienced a full spectrum of effects. While over half of the country has received their first vaccination given major campaign efforts, the Ben Gurion Airport remains shuttered, with some exceptions to the rule. The airport was closed on January 25 as the country… […]
On a mission to âgrow early-stage Arab-led startups into multimillion-dollar companies,â The Hybrid program supports eight startups per year to make the âstartup investableâ as soon as possible. Â For the early-stage Arab entrepreneurs who are most certainly underrepresented in the startup world, there is a deep need for access to these resources, knowledge, and network.… […]
